The Phoenix Suns opened the 2026–27 season on Wednesday night, and you almost wish they could’ve waited one more day. Or perhaps this was the Valley Suns rather than the Phoenix Suns. Whatever team showed up in Portland got absolutely blasted by the Trail Blazers, losing by 41 points, 124–83.
Phoenix trailed by as many as 52 points. Portland outscored the Suns 43–12 in the opening quarter, and the rout was officially on. The Blazers dominated Phoenix in every facet of the game, turning what was supposed
to be an exciting season opener into an absolute embarrassment.
Want some stats? Here you go. The Suns shot 35.7% from the field and a miserable 19.4% from beyond the arc. Damian Lillard made as many three-pointers (6) as the entire Phoenix roster combined. Portland generated 26 second-chance points compared to just 12 for the Suns and dominated the glass, outrebounding Phoenix 56–39.
Devin Booker led the team with 23 points on 7-of-13 shooting, but even he couldn’t escape the carnage, finishing with a team-worst plus/minus of -43.
Khaman Maluach earned the start at center, and much like the rest of his teammates, he failed to impress. And it appears the starting job could remain his for the foreseeable future, as Oso Ighodaro exited the game early with what appeared to be a right hip injury.
There isn’t much to salvage from a performance like this. The shooting was atrocious, the rebounding was nonexistent, and the defensive identity Phoenix spent an entire season establishing was nowhere to be found. It’s one game, and perspective matters over an 82-game season. But when you spend an offseason preaching continuity, growth, and accountability, getting embarrassed by 41 points on opening night is a hell of a way to introduce yourself.
The Suns have plenty of time to respond. They also have plenty to answer for.
Game Flow
First Half
The excitement. The anticipation. You can barely contain yourself because Phoenix Suns basketball is finally back. And what happens? The Portland Trail Blazers open the game on an 11–0 run as the Suns start 0-of-3 from the field, turn the ball over once, and get outrebounded 5–1 right out of the gate. Portland opened 3-of-5 from beyond the arc while Phoenix started 0-of-1. Less than three minutes into the season, the Suns found themselves in an all-too-familiar position from a year ago: digging themselves out of a hole.
The Suns called a timeout, but the drought continued. Brick after brick after brick. Devin Booker midrange? Brick. Miles Bridges threes? Brick. Maluach in transition? Brick.
Phoenix made its first substitutions with 7:32 remaining in the first quarter. The Suns still hadn’t scored a point and were trailing 17–0. They continued getting destroyed on the glass, seemingly incapable of securing a rebound. Devin Booker and Ja Morant got into a bit of a shouting match, which was nice to see. A little fire. But you know what would’ve been even nicer? Some points. Double technical fouls were assessed, and the misery continued.
Every loose ball seemed to find its way into Portland’s hands. The energy that this Suns team has become known for was completely and utterly nonexistent. Deni Avdija misses a pair of free throws? Doesn’t matter. Dillon Brooks gets called for a loose ball foul while boxing out. The team was completely out of sorts. Phoenix had committed five fouls, and Portland was already shooting free throws before the Blazers had even been whistled for their first foul. Oh, and the Suns still hadn’t scored a single point.
That finally changed with 5:54 remaining in the first quarter, when Devin Booker connected on a free throw to give Phoenix its first point of the season. The score? Portland 21, Phoenix 1.
Damian Lillard, who missed last season with an Achilles injury, knocked down a three-pointer with two minutes left in the first quarter, pushing Portland’s lead to 30. What is this? Game 7 in 2022 against the Mavs?
The damage after one? Without a doubt, it was a quarter from hell. Everything that could’ve gone wrong practically did. The Suns surrendered 43 points to a Blazers team that shot 52% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc, connecting on 8-of-16 three-point attempts. Portland also dominated the glass, grabbing 21 rebounds compared to Phoenix’s six.
Meanwhile, the Suns went 0-of-7 from deep and a miserable 4-of-20 from the field. They surrendered 10 second-chance points while generating none of their own. Portland scored five points off turnovers, while Phoenix failed to produce a single point in that category. When the dust settled on one of the ugliest opening quarters imaginable, the Suns trailed 43–12.
Welcome to the 2026–27 season.
The Suns finally connected on their first three-pointer with nine minutes remaining in the second quarter, courtesy of Jalen Green. Phoenix opened the period on a 10–2 run, chipping away at the deficit and cutting Portland’s lead to 23 points after scoring 22 of its own. But true to form, the Blazers responded with a 12–2 run of their own, extending their advantage back to 33 points.
Miles Bridges picked up a flagrant foul after throwing a block into Donovan Clingan that looked more like an offensive lineman protecting his quarterback than a basketball player attempting to make a play.
And as if things couldn’t get any worse, Oso Ighodaro was clearly laboring in the final seconds of the first half, grabbing at his right hip before heading directly to the Suns locker room. The one position where Phoenix already lacked meaningful depth was suddenly looking even thinner. He would not return.
Halftime mercifully arrived with the Suns trailing 72–39. Phoenix was shooting 3-of-14 from beyond the arc and 13-of-42 overall, a miserable 31% from the field. Devin Booker led the team with 10 points on 2-of-6 shooting.
Meanwhile, Damian Lillard had already connected on 4-of-6 three-point attempts for 17 first-half points. Toumani Camara added 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting, while Ja Morant contributed 10 points and six assists, shooting 4-of-6 from the field and 2-of-3 from deep. The Suns were outrebounded 33–17 in the first half, while Portland recorded 21 assists compared to Phoenix’s eight.
Pitiful basketball by the Suns.
Second Half
Coming out of the locker room, the Suns still couldn’t match the energy of the rolling Trail Blazers. It was clear that the combination of Damian Lillard and Ja Morant in the backcourt, Donovan Clingan’s size in the interior, and Deni Avdija’s ability to knife through a defense was simply overwhelming for Phoenix.
Miles Bridges looked completely lost on both ends of the floor. Defensively, he continually collapsed into the paint, abandoning his perimeter assignments and leaving Portland shooters wide open from beyond the arc. Wash, rinse, repeat.
Dillon Brooks started to come alive a little in the third quarter, scoring seven of the Suns’ first 14 points while going 3-of-3 from the field. But every time it felt like Phoenix was building some momentum, Portland would respond by knocking down another three.
With 1:13 remaining in the third quarter, the Blazers did it! They pushed their lead to 40 points! Devin Booker responded with a jumper, but naturally, Portland came right back and buried another three.
After three quarters, Portland 107, Phoenix 66.
After four, the Suns lose.
Up Next
The Suns head home as they host the Golden State Warriors in their home opener on Saturday night.
